Predators of Bottlenose Dolphins
Dolphins are apex predators, meaning that they are at the top of the food chain in our oceans and there are not many animals that prey upon them. Still, you may ask yourself, what types of predators eat bottlenose dolphins? Dolphins are agile, quick and have a brain capacity 40% larger than humans, making them intelligent and when necessary, dolphins can be aggressive.
Very few predators are brave enough to attack the noble and beautiful dolphin. Most commonly you may find that sharks will kill and eat bottlenose dolphins, if they are of the smaller variety. Larger dolphins are simply too powerful and can either out manoeuvre them or will return the aggressive behaviour, ramming them with their snouts.
The other types of predators that will kill and eat bottlenose dolphins are killer whales. Killer whales are formidable predators who have great bulk and strength behind their attacks. They are most noted for their technique where they slam down with great force upon their prey or hurl them bodily across the water, as is often seen with seals.
The most significant losses to the dolphin population are not, however, caused by sharks and killer whales. In Japan dolphin meat is considered a delicacy and dolphins are rounded up, herded into bays and slaughtered in numbers so vast that the sea turns red with blood. This method, called drive hunting, is also used as far a-field as the Solomon Islands in the South Pacific sea, the Faroe Islands in the North Atlantic and Peru in South America.
Thousands of dolphins are slaughtered annually using this method and the meat is sold to consumers the world over. Protesters the world over have spoken out against this unnecessarily barbaric method of slaughter, where the animals throats are cut. Thus far, this inhuman fishing method remains in use today, making man the biggest predator of bottlenose dolphins.
Find out more about different animal charities or purchase a dolphin adoption gift pack.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Charles_Cridland
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Tags: animals, fishing, hunting, killer whales, whale, whales